With the recent development of digital broadcasting and broadband communication, realization of broadcasting-communication integrated services, including European HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV), has been studied and developed. Further, an enhanced television called a “smart television” enabling various communication services to be utilized using applications, as well as having a broadcast reception function, has begun to spread. Each user adds applications selected from an application list distributed via a portal site or the like to such an enhanced television enabling the user to use services other than the broadcast. Various communication services can be utilized when the added applications are executed by the enhanced television.
An API (Application Programming Interface) may be provided in a platform introducing applications to expand services as described above or a device constituting the platform as an interface for enabling functions of the platform or the device to be used from the applications. It is possible to simplify design and coding tasks for software for enabling the functions of the platform or the device to be handled from the application by providing such an API. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently produce applications. Such a concept has also been considered in a receiver intended for broadcasting-communication integration.
For example, a structure which easily acquires information related to broadcasts through communication and uses the information by providing an API between a data broadcasting browser and a communication function of a receiver is disclosed in Patent Document 1.